Combined rail-brace and spike-holder



G. C. WORTMAN.

COMBINED RAIL BRACEAND SPIKE HOLDER.

APPLICATION man OCT. 4 1918.

1,323,802. Patented Dec. 2,1919.

entree sr ras PATENT orrron.

GEORGE o. woRTMAN, or DENVER, COLORADO.

COMBINED RAIL-BRACE AND SPIKE-HOLDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. IVORTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Rail Brace and Spike-Holders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a rail brace and spike holder for use in connection with railroad rails, my object being toprovide a thoroughly practical device of this character, which shall atthe same time be simple in construction and economical in cost. In my improvement, no exposed fastening devices are employed. The spikes which hold the rail in place have their heads engagedfrom above so that the spikes cannot work loose. Heretofore, so far as I am aware, great difficulty has been experienced by reason of the spikes becoming loose and working upwardly out of the ties, thus leaving-the rail loose and liable to spread when I in use. 1

Another object of my improvement is to overcome this dilficulty by the employment 'of a construction which issecured in place without the aid offastening devices which the spike heads. 'On the opposite side ofthe rail I employ a brace member, which engages the upper surface of the said plate 7 and when in place'also engages the spikes on the adj acent sideof the rail and further extends upwardly into engagement with the ball of the rail at the angle between it and r the web. This brace is held in place on the I plate by means of a key,of wedge or other Serial No. 256,804.

shape, adapted to securely hold the brace in position.

Having briefly outlined my improvement, I-will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 11, Fig. 2, showing my improved construction in use. i

Fig. 2 is a'fragmentary side elevation of a rail and tie, shown in connection with my improvement. 7

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a tie and rail, showing my improvement applied.

Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the plate, or bottom meinber of my improvement. I

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the rail brace member thereof. v

Fig. 6 is a similar view of alocking key employed, and forming a part of the device.

.Fig.-7 is a cross section, illustrating the Patented Dec. 2, 1919. i

first step in applying improvement ,to' a rail.

Fig. I, looking toward the left.

The samereference characters indicate the same parts in allthe views. r

Let the numeral 5 designate a railway rail of ordinaryconstruction. This rail, where my improvement is applied, rests upon a plate,- 6, which is provided near one edge thereof with elongated openings, 7, adapted 'to-receive spikes, 8.. Adjacent these openings, 7, the edge of the plate is bent inwardly above the openings 7 to form a spikeholding flange, 9, the plate being shifted laterally under the base of the rail after the spikes are in place in order to bring the flange over and directly-in contact with the spike heads on this side'of the rail. The spikes, 8, are driven intothe ties through the openings 7, when the plate is shifted sufficiently for the purpose, as best illustrated' in Fig. 7.

v The plate is further provided with openings, 10, adapted to receive spikes, 12, which arebfthe same construction as the spikes 8.

After the plate, 6, has been shifted tobring the flange, 9, into locking engagement with the spikes, 8, the spikes, 12, are driven into placethrough the openings, 10, after which a brace, 13, is p'ut in place. l his brace is angular in shape, its outer portion, 14:, hav

ing a flat lower surface, 15, adapted to engage the upper surface of the plate, 6. It

- is'further provided with a surface part, 16',

which is inclined upwardly from the surface 15, and so arranged as to engagethe tops of the spikes, 12, in looking relation. The upper portion, 17 ofthe brace extends upwardly at a suitable angle, itsupper edge engaging the rail at the upper extremity of the web, where the ball, 18, joins the web.

I The part 14 of the rail brace member 00- operates at-i s outer edge with an upwardly projecting rib, 25, the outer edge of the brace and the inner surface of the rib being spaced to receive a locking key, 26, which may be composed of any suitable material. As

' shown in thevdrawing, this key is composed of hard wood, though it is evident that any suitable material may be employed. By making the key of hard wood, it may be drivenso tightly into place that there is practically no liability of its becoming loose under the influence of the vibration of the emergency should existrequiring that the plate be fastened otherwise than by means of the construction heretofore described. This extension is not regularly utilized but if for any reason the tie should become defective where the spikes 8 and 12 are located,

and it should be sound wherethe extension 27 is, by placing fastening devicesin 'the openings 28, the rail might be temporarily held sufficiently. secure for operating pur-.

poses, until the track could be repaired by the substitution of a new tie,

From the foregoing description, the use and operation of my improvement will, it is believed, be thoroughly understood without further explanation in detail. V Attention is called to the fact that it is preferred that the flange, 9, particularly at its extremities, should be bent downwardly, as shown at 80, in order to prevent the flanger or devicecarried by the locomotive for cutting the ice and snow away from the rails,,from catching onthe flange, 9, when the so-called fianger' is lowered, as it somebase of the rail. This flanger, or' iceand snow-cutting device, very frequently pulls times is, to occupy a position close to the V out the spikes when it is lowered too far.

But where my improvement is employed, and the spike-heads are covered by the part 9, this difliculty will beovercome, and by bendingthe extremities of the flange 9 downwardly,-producing a sort'of beveled effect, there will be no possibility that the so-called flanger will catch upon the part 9, since it will move upwardly at the beveled ends, 30, of the flange and slide freely over the latter without injury to either the flange or the adjacent spikes. V

Having, thus described my invention, what I claimis: I

1. A holder for the spikes of railway rails, comprising a base plate, upon which the rail rests, the plate having openings for the spikes, these openings on one side being elongated to permit the shifting of theplate laterally when the spikes are in lace, the plate having an inwardly turned auge for engaging the spikes after the shifting of the plate, a second plate arranged above the first plate and adapted to engage the spike heads on the opposite side from the flange, and a locking key, the base plate having a rib, the said key being. driven between the outer edge of the second plate and the rib of the base plate;

comprising a base'plate upon which the rail rests, the plate having openings for the spikes on opposite sides, the openings on one side being elongated to permit the shifting of the plate laterally when the spikes which engage the elongated openings are in position, the said-plate having an inwardly turned flange for engaging the spikesafter 2. A combined rail brace and spikeholder,v

the shifting ofthe plate, .a second plate arranged above and in contact with the-base plate, and adapted to engage thespike heads on the opposite side from the flange, and also to engage andbracethe rail, and alocking key, the base plate] having a rib, the said key being driven between the outer edgeof the second plate and the rib of the base plates 7 j Y 3. The combination with a rail and tie, of a base plate, arranged between the rail and the tie and having. an upturned flange on one edge, the said plate having spike openings on opposite sides and being laterally shiftable afterthe spikeson one side are in place, one set, ofopenings being elongatedfor this purpose, a second plate, ar-

ranged above the base plate and on the opposite side of the rail from the flange, the

second plateengaging theheads of the ad-" jacent spikes from above,and means for securing the second plate in cooperative relation with the base plate and the rails.

4.. The combination with, a; rail and tie, of. a base plate, arranged between the rail and the tie and having an upturned flange on one edge, the'said plate having spikeopenings on opposite sidesv and being laterally shiftable after the spikes on one. side are in place, one set of openings being elongated for this purpose, a second plate, arranged above the base plate and on the opposite side of the rail from theflange, the second plate engaging the headsof the adjacent spikes from above, means for securing the second 130 j plate in cooperative relation with the base plate and the rail, said means including a rib formed on the base plate, and a locking key arranged between the rib and the second late. p 5. The combination with a rail and tie, of a base plate arranged between the rail and the tie and having an upturned flange on one edge, the base plate having spike openings on opposite sides and being laterally shiftable after the spikes on one side are in place, one set of openings being elongated for this purpose, a second plate arranged above and in contact with the base plate and on the opposite side of the rail from the flange, the second plate engaging the heads of the adjacent spikes from above, and engaging the rail in bracing relation,

and means for securing the second plate in cooperative relation with the base plate and the rail.

6. The combination with a rail and tie, of a base plate arranged between the rail and the tie and having an upturned flange on one edge, the base plate having spike openings on opposite sides and being laterally shiftable after the spikes on one side are in place, the openings on the corresponding side being elongated for the purpose, and a brace plate arranged above the base plate and on the opposite side from the flange, the brace plate engaging the heads of the adjacent spikes from above and engaging the rail in bracing relation, and means for securing the brace plate in cooperative relation with the base plate and the rail, said means including a rib formed onthe base plate and a locking key driven between the adjacent edge of the brace plate and the rib.

7 The combination with a rail and tie of a base plate, arranged between the rail and i the tie and having an upturned flange on one side, the said plate having spike openings 

